Overhead Costs

Lifting a barbell overhead is easy. In theory. I have been paying extra attention to overhead positions lately and see that in many cases, in an effort to get the bar overhead, we tend to overdo it and the bar travels not just to a vertical position over the shoulder but ends up precariously cantilevered (is that the right phrase?) behind your back.   Watch for this and you will see it slightly in the shoulder/military press and a more exaggerated version in the push press, jerk and thruster. The worst example tends to be the mid-WOD jerk or thruster when you are exhausted.

Andy was having some pain in his back during a pressing session so we used the camera to look at what was happening at the top. Unfortunately the middle picture is at an angle so the line has to be interpreted a bit. The first and third pictures are straight on from the side (?!?) and the line shows a nice line between the barbell at the top and the mid-foot at the bottom. As the bar moves further out of alignment you are forced to adjust your body to keep from toppling over. Even a little over extension can tweak you in the back when using a sizable load. Andy felt no pain when he was in good alignment. Nice work Andy.